Different Aspects Of Living In The Usa
Diversity And Unity
Diversity is embraced in our country, as well as protected by the Constitution. The Constitution, but especially the Bill of Rights, guarantees people the right to have their own values and beliefs. It gives people the freedom of speech, religion, expression and basically promises citizens that they will not be condemned for their diversity. In our country, people can have the right to have their own thoughts, opinions, and ideologies. People in our country also have the right to express those thoughts and opinions whether it’s through speech, media, religion, or assembly. As a citizen of the United States, you can voice your opinion, wear what you want, and practice your own religion traditions, regardless of race or ethnicity. In the United State, we also celebrate our unity as one whole nation. We may have come from different parts of the world, but we all came here with a similar purpose, a better life.
Almost everyone in our nation has roots leading back to an ancestor who came to this country for some reason, whether it was looking for better opportunities, seeking freedom, or escaping war. We all came to this land to become a part of the great melting pot. Another way we embrace unity is through our government and laws. Every citizen in our country has a say and everyone gets to take part in making a decision as to who is in our government and whether or not the government’s decisions are accepted or not. Every individual in our country must also live under the same constraints of the law. Written on our U.S. dollar bills is a saying that symbolizes our diversity and unity, “E Pluribus Unum.” Translated from Latin, it means “Out of many… One.” What this saying symbolizes in our country is how we have all come together from many different places to create one nation.
One people
Our democracy works to balance diversity and unity. However, maintaining balance is a very difficult job. There is always conflict. As our country grows and there is change, which there always is, there is always some conflict. With the development of the radio, television, Internet, and more technology further connecting us, we are constantly having debates as to how much freedom we get regarding the press. As more different ethnic groups arrive in the United States of America, there are more problems regarding religion, culture, speech, assimilation, and other aspects affected by the arrival of new people. Our politics in today’s world have tipped the scale towards diversity. In today’s world, everyone is focused on what makes us different from one another. It has caused many outbreaks of violence and conflict between different religious groups, racial groups, political groups, and people of different genders. We have forgotten what makes us similar.
Our country is struggling to stay united in all the turmoil and discrimination. We have all have the right to our differences, but we are forgetting to accept and embrace them.Immigration From Mexico. Over the course of thirty years, Mexico has been able to pull almost half of its 31 million households out of poverty and into the middle class. More Mexican families are living a lifestyle similar to that of an American family. There are now more high-skill jobs available meaning more work opportunities. A big contributing factor to this jump in the economy is Mexico’s growth in exports and manufacturing. In Mexico, there is food being grown, cars being produced, electronics, appliances, and clothes. All of which have helped Mexico become the 12th-largest export economy in the world.
However, all of this growth does not overshadow the challenges the country still faces. About 46% of Mexico’s population still lives in poverty. A $30 billion illegal drug trade is currently running throughout the country by drug cartels. There are problems of corruption at all levels of government and business. Meanwhile, Mexico’s public school system suffers from poor funding, poor teacher quality, and no government financial aid for college. All of this results in only 45% of Mexicans finishing high school on time. There has been much debate as to whether or not Trump’s wall along the Mexico-United States border should be built. Main arguments for the wall characterize Mexico as a source of illegal immigrants, drugs, and unfair trade practices that hurt the U.S. economy.
About half of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States came from Mexico. Many Americans say these illegal immigrants are taking their jobs and resources, as well as blaming them for the increased crime rates. While these are all major issues that a border wall could potentially fix, the building of the wall might just make matters worse. The United States-Mexico relationship has been very important for both Mexico and the United States’ economies. The two conduct more than $580 billion in trade every year. Millions of jobs in both countries depend on the trade between United States and Mexico.
Another thing the two countries collaborate on is counterterrorism efforts. They share information with each other regarding potential terrorism suspects. Mexico’s former foreign secretary has said that Mexico’s assistance may cease if the wall is built. In Mexico, economic support from the U.S. is considered the best solution to the illegal immigration problem. Illegal immigrants come to the United States looking for better opportunities, but if they have good opportunities at home, they won’t need to go to the United States. A border wall will have a drastic effect on both economies. A wall will most likely lead to the severing of the U.S. and Mexico’s relationship. Although a wall means less jobs will be filled by illegal immigrants, the loss of the economic relationship will make the loss in American jobs even worse. 5 million jobs in the United States depend on the continued relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, but if those ties are severed, unemployment rates will rise, supply will decrease while demand only rises. There will be a recession, if not a depression.
In Mexico, the illegal immigration rate has been declining as the economy has been rising, but without the support of the U.S. this rise may halt and the economy may drop again. Those who made it into the middle class will fall back into poverty, and those in poverty will suffer even more. Just because there is a wall doesn’t mean it’s going to stop all illegal immigration, and a drop in the economy will only encourage it.Immigration Debate. As of now, the undocumented population currently sits at about 11 million people. The flow of illegal immigrants has leveled off since 2008.
This trend is result of many factors. Starting in 2008, the economic crisis at the time led some undocumented immigrants to leave and return to their home countries while simultaneously discouraging others from trying to come. With the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States came stricter policies regarding illegal immigration. These policies resulted in a 26% drop in the number of people stopped or apprehended at the southern border in 2017. They also led to the rate of arrest of suspected illegal immigrants to jump by 40%. Many of Trump’s policies focus on increased border control, including a potential wall along the Mexico-United States border. However, a significant portion of undocumented immigrants is comprised of those who overstay their visas.
In fact, since 2007, the number of people who overstayed their visas outnumbered those who crossed the border illegally by six-hundred thousand. Those who are admitted legally into the United States are admitted based on different categories such as family reunification, employment-based preferences, refugees, diversity, and asylees. However, only a portion of applicants are admitted each year. Millions are left on the waiting list for immigrant visas. Many do not want or can not afford to wait and therefore resort to illegal immigration. Barack Obama’s plans towards immigration heavily focused on providing temporary legal relief to many undocumented immigrants.
In 2012, the Obama administration began a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA offered two-year deportation deferrals and work permits to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and had no criminal records. In addition to DACA, Obama also pushed for a similar program for the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, known as the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA). However, more than two dozen states sued his administration, saying that the program violated federal immigration law and the U.S.
Constitution
President Trump’s plans differ in that he is more focused on better border security, removal of undocumented immigrants, and terrorism prevention. Plans for improved border security include constructing a wall along the Mexico-United States border, an end to catch and release practices, and expanding on the application of “expedited removal.” Plans for the removal of undocumented immigrants include a wider variety of categories of immigrants to be removed, and increased enforcement personnel and removal facilities. Plans for terrorism prevention include banning nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the United States for at least ninety days, blocking nationals from Syria indefinitely, and suspending the U.S. refugee program for 120 days. Other actions of the Trump administration include halving the annual cap of refugees admitted to the United States to fifty thousand, ending temporary protected status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitians, Nicaraguans, Hondurans, Nepalis, and Salvadorans.
Obama’s plans focused on relief, whereas Trump’s focus on enforcement. Different states have widely varied their treatment of undocumented immigrants. Some states enforce the current immigration laws such as Arizona, who has passed laws allowing police to question people about their immigration status. Some states have not been enforcing these laws set by Trump’s administration such as California, who is allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers’ licenses, receive in-state tuition at universities, and obtain other benefits. This limited cooperation with federal authorities has earned states and local jurisdictions such as California the label “sanctuary city.”
Citizenship
A Citizenship test should be given to high school students, but it should not be a requirement to graduate. Rather it should just be treated as another test that is put in the gradebook along with other tests and assignments. Having a Citizenship test as a requirement to graduate from high school will provide next to no benefits. Many students will just see this test as another multiple-choice exam where they simply memorize a bunch of facts, take the test, and then forget everything the next day. Passing test is in no way a good measure of good citizenship. Students will not care about these facts unless they know how these aspects of our country affect them personally. Understanding the rights and responsibilities of a U.S. citizen is something very important that students should carry with them into adulthood. If a simple multiple-choice test is what is considered the required level of knowledge, then no student will carry with them that understanding.
To be a good citizen is to understand one’s rights and to meet one’s duties and responsibilities as a citizen. Paying taxes on time and serving on a jury or testifying as a witness at trial demonstrate being a good citizen as a good citizen will meet their country’s legal requirements. Other actions that demonstrate being a citizen include voting and speaking out against an action of the government because this demonstrates an active citizen who knows what the government is doing and is taking action to make sure the government is working properly.
As a citizen of the United States, both men and women age 18-25 should be asked to sign up for selective service. As of now, women are allowed to serve in all combat positions in the military. Women have been fighting for equal rights for decades. If we want equal rights, then we must accept the responsibilities that come with equality. Both men and women have equal opportunities and should therefore both have equal obligations. It doesn’t matter whether a woman is considered as capable as a man or not, if both genders are considered capable of service, then both should have that requirement. Women don’t necessarily have to serve in combat positions if they are not considered physically capable, but both men and women should have to register for some type of national service.
Radio Story/Video
The radio story, Should Women Have to Register for the Draft, deals with the debate of whether or not men and women alike should both have to register for the Selective Service. In the past, there have been debates about this issue including a Supreme Court case. The Supreme Court held the men only requirement for the draft because of women’s limited role in the military at the time. Then, in December of 2015, the Pentagon opened up all combat positions in the military to women. Now that both men and women have equal rights in the military, there is debate as to whether women should also have the equal obligation of registering for the Selective Service. Women’s rights has been an issue that has been debated for decades, centuries even. As women gain more rights, there is debate about the responsibilities that women must now have.
